Welcome back to the annual, inevitable temperature drop and darker evenings. As you replace your swimwear for woolly jumpers, it’s important to make sure your vapes are getting some warmth too! While it won’t reach freezing for a few months yet, we figured a handy little guide on protecting your kit and E-liquids wouldn’t go amiss at the start of the new season. We also thought you might like a guide to some of our more autumnal flavours to soothe the transition into cooler climes.
So, what’s the problem?
While built to withstand the majority of day-to-day tasks you encounter, your vape device may not be quite so well fitted to freezing temperatures. Don’t be left in the cold!
Kit:
·The rubber O-rings used to seal gaps in your hardware are key in preventing your precious E-liquids from leaking. The problem here is that rubber, by its very nature, is susceptible to growing and contracting depending on its exposed temperature. Cold weather can also harden it beyond reasonable expectation for your device to handle, leading to O-rings easily snapping or losing their shape and letting a flood of E-liquid out into the open.
Battery:
·Lithium-ion batteries notoriously lose efficiency in colder temperatures. With their prime being maintained between 0°C and 60°C (32°F and 140°F), even the relatively mild British climate breaches the below-freezing mark during the Winter months. Exposure to sub-zero conditions may mean your batteries may hold less charge and may become vulnerable to a drop in maximum voltage (to lows of 3.7V, even fully charged). For our beloved sub-ohm users, this can be a massive problem when up to 50% of your capacity is susceptible to the elements.
Coil:
·Since a lot more energy is required to get things up and running, more basic coils may be advisable over more elaborate builds. The longer the wire, the more energy (and thus battery drain) is required to reach your desired vaping temperature.
Liquid:
·Unfortunately, your fruity favourites aren’t immune to the weather, and while generally being pretty resistant to life’s challenges, as -10°C approaches they can become flavourless and cold liquids tend to become more viscous. Any change in viscosity as a result of the cold can leave your device working harder for the usual amount of vapour you may come to expect, which ultimately causes coils to burn out far more quickly.
PG (Propylene Glycol) is an unlikely saviour though, as it has a freezing point of -59°C which is quite remarkable and a key factor in its prominent use in antifreeze solutions! Liquids of at least 50% PG are ideal here (and readily available). Icy flavours are a frequent favourite, but iced over liquid can only cause problems!
Cold Lips and Drip Tips:
·It may sound like an oddly specific tidbit, but drip tips made of metal can become particularly painful in the winter. Near-freezing temperatures combined with wet lips can lead to an unfortunate tongue-on-ice-lolly moment with metal tips, so we’d advise plastics or glass where available in combination with a lovely lip balm.